


Nothing to Cry About

by mercuryandglass



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Alternate Universe - Soul Eater, Gen, M/M, Yamaguchi Week 2K15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-04-30 18:33:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5174762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercuryandglass/pseuds/mercuryandglass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yamaguchi Week: Stars/Freckles, Tsukki/Childhood, Yamaguchi's Birthday, Jump Float/Victory, Teammates/Crows, Crossover/Favourite AU, Third Year/Post-Secondary</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One, Stars/Freckles

Tadashi remembers very little of his father’s father, but he does remember some. They’d go visit sometimes, and he remembers being by the ocean with everyone else, sitting on a bamboo mat over the sand, closely listening to the old man tell him about the seven sages for the umpteenth time, even as he asked for a different tale.

 

For his seventh birthday, he receives an encyclopaedia of Greek mythology, with bookmarks in the pages about stars.

 

Five months later, he is being fitted for a black kimono.

 

Afterwards, when they visit his father’s mother, Tadashi reserves one night for rolling up the old bamboo mat and walking with Obaa-san to the beach. She would ask him to tell her about the seven sages again, because, “Young people like Tadashi-chan have better memories than a frail old lady like me.”

And he would comply, imitating, to the best of his abilities, the creaky timber of Ojii-san’s voice.

The smell of salt and brine has never been so sharp, and the echo of his adolescent voice has never sounded so empty.

 

Obaa-san doesn’t stay lonely for very long.

Tadashi’s kimono barely needs to be altered.

 

There’s no longer any reason to visit the ancient house by the sea, but that doesn’t mean Tadashi stops stargazing. It’s never quite the same in the city, but Tadashi still rolls up a bamboo mat to lie on the roof and read about the stars that he can see.

 

So, later, much later, when he’s sprawled across Tsukki’s bed in nothing but his boxers, and Tsukki is having one those Days (capitalisation necessary), kneeling over Tadashi’s back and connecting freckles with a thin permanent marker and a ruler, as if his back was some bizarre art project.

“I found Seiryuu and Byakko.”

“Ehh, Tsukki, you’re into astronomy?” Tadashi twitches under the fine felt tip.

“Don’t move, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki!”

They’re silent for a while as Tsukki finishes his flourishes, but Tadashi pipes up as Tsukki gets off of him (presumably to get a mirror to show Tadashi).

“Ne, Tsukki…”

“Hmm?”

“We should go stargazing sometime.”

Silence.

Tadashi realises what he just said and mentally backpedals. Was that something friends did? Was that too weird? Oh God… Does Tsukki think he’s weird now? What if—

“Okay, Yamaguchi, let’s go stargazing.”

Yamaguchi pauses his internal conflict and grins at the pale blush on Tsukki’s cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seven Sages, Seryuu, and Byakko are all from traditional Japanese/Oriental star lore. (Which I know is somewhat incongruous with the Greek mythology book but like, in my experience, Asian folklore tend to be passed down from word-of-mouth, which Tadashi already has access to, whereas he would only be able to learn of western mythology through books and such. I don't know. It made sense while I was writing it.)
> 
> Also, I just definitely did not mean to make this prompt into a shippy thing but Tsukki wrote himself in so it can be taken as preslash now? Blame Tsukki. This was not my intention.


	2. Day Two, Tsukki/Childhood

It’s a rainy day, which means that the classroom would only be more crowded during lunch. And, of course, that just wouldn’t do. So, come lunchtime, Tadashi grabs his umbrella and allows himself to be dragged outside by Tsukki.

They’re casually talking about the dinosaur documentary Aki-nii took them to see that past weekend, when Tadashi, just as casually, brings up the card pack he’d convinced his Kaa-chan to get him on their way home.

“So what did you get?” Tsukki asks, trying too hard not to sound eager.

“Nothing unusual,” Tadashi starts, watching Tsukki deflate in his peripheral vision. “An eevee, a rattata, a bulbasaur...” He turns and grins at Tsukki, “a ninetales.”

Tsukki stops in the middle of the hallway.

“Come on, Tsukki, you’re blocking the way.”

Tadashi finally finishes putting on the other sleeve of his hoddie and unties the clear umbrella he brought today. He waits outside, just under the edge of the overhang, waiting for Tsukki to catch up, because of course the idiot didn’t think to grab his umbrella.

They make their way to their usual corner, and set up the way they always do on rainy days, with Tadashi’s unworn rain jacket on the ground and the umbrella propped up to block the rain that the tiny overhang couldn’t. Tsukki’s eyes are shining, and Tadashi covers his smile with a hand.

“What do you want for it?” Tsukki asks as soon as they settle down and open their bentos.

Tadashi smirks. “Hmm, well, you could start by not being mean to Aya-chan for at least a month.”

“Aya-chan?” Tsukki is bad at acting innocent.

“Moritsune Aya-chan.”

“One week.”

Tadashi glares, “one month.”

Tsukki scoffs in agreement.

“And,” Tadashi smiles wider, “you have to beat me, using only the, what, six ninetails that you have right now.”

Tsukki sighs.

“You’re on.”

Tsukki doesn’t win, because Tadashi has enough water types to get by, but Tadashi gives him the card anyway, although not after demanding both a charmander and a squirtle from him.

“One month, Tsukki, one month,” Tadashi reminds Tsukki as he hands over the card.

Tsukki scowls and looks away. “I don’t understand why you don’t just confess to her.”

Tadashi scowls right back, “I like her, but I don’t like her that much.” He then smiles. “Besides, who has time for a girlfriend when I have to deal with you?”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi”

“Sorry, Tsukki!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story, I actually know very little about Pokemon, let alone the trading card game rules, and I had to do extensive research about it, so please correct me if there's anything wrong.


	3. Day Three, Yamaguchi's Birthday

Tadashi wakes up to something very, very large falling on top of him.

“Wha...”

“Wake up, Yamaguchi.”

“Tsukki?” Tadashi blinks groggily, and it indeed is the very, very large, very, very blond boy that is currently sprawled over his bed, which, you know, _had him in it_.

He groans. “What’re you _doing_ here?”

“We’re almost late.”

Tadashi sits up, uncaring that his motion almost rolled Tsukki off his bed and onto the floor.

“What?” Tadashi exclaims, grappling at his phone and seeing the missed alarm notifications. “Ugh, I left it on silent last night,” he moans, almost lying back down again.

Tsukki stands up and pulls him out of bed. “I’ll get your breakfast. Hurry up and shower.”

“Thanks, Tsukki!”

Tadashi set a record of getting ready in no more than five minutes, and they’re off to the school at a brisker pace than their usual leisurely stroll.

He apologises profusely to Tsukki for all the trouble until Tsukki gets fed up and responds with the ever-so-familiar “Yamaguchi, you’re too loud.” Tadashi apologises one last time as they approach the door to the second gym and rushes to pull open the door for Tsukki.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY YAMAGUCHI!”

Tadashi jumps back into Tsukki’s expectant hands, mentally counting down through the days. It was Monday, wasn’t it? But they had class yesterday, so maybe it was Tuesday… Either way, this is much more than he’d expected from his teammates of only one semester or so. Although, he supposes he should have expected it, with how Tanaka-senpai made such a big deal out of Noya-senpai’s birthday last month. Everyone must have decided that they were close enough as a club to celebrate things like this.

“Ah, I, that is,” Tadashi looks down and blushes. “Thank you very much, everyone.”

Tsukki pushes him forwards into the small crowd of people offering their individual well wishes. He is guided to the pile of bags in the corner, and Hitoka-chan carries over a tray of sixteen cupcakes with a candle in each. They sit in a lopsided circle and everyone stares at each other expectantly. Someone darkens the gym, and they all start singing. Tadashi is extremely glad that he has time to try to hide his blush; he must look like a strawberry by this point.

Somehow, the cupcakes end up being split perfectly amongst the twelve players, two managers, the coach, and the teacher.

They go through the circle, everyone giving Tadashi a small gift of sweets and the like, and Tadashi painstakingly acts out his part in the ritual of gift receiving. It turns out that Shimizu-senpai had actually made the cupcakes, causing Tanaka-senpai and Noya-senpai to wax eloquence over the perfect taste of chocolate flavouring still lingering on their tongues.

Tsukki is the last to get up to find his bag and pull out a small silver foil-wrapped gift to shove at Tadashi.

“I–”

“Yamaguchi, this is the seventh year. If you say that you can’t accept it, I’m going to stop bothering with wrapping it up next time and just hide it in your backpack.”

Tadashi smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, Tsukki. Thank you very much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not too late I swear I'm in Vancouver time so it's not midnight yet.
> 
> But yeah I'm sorry that this was almost too late but I had a fairly brutal physics midterm and went on a pizza date with a friend to wallow in our sorrows afterwards. Also, that felt rushed when I was writing it. Does it read as rushed? I'm sorry if it does but I wasn't Skyping my muse today during this and I was hurrying to complete it in an hour (which I did, might I add). Finally, I just did not edit this at all so if there are typos or dumb mistakes please contact me. I'll probably be fixing it up tomorrow.


	4. Day Four, Jump Float/Victory

The ball smacks into Tsukki’s palms, and down to the ground on the other side of the net. A tense silence, a whistle, and they are now at 24-23, opponents’ lead.

However, it is now Tadashi’s serve.

Tadashi straightens out of his receiving crouch and accepts the ball.

Inhale, Tadashi. Exhale, Tadashi.

He bounces the ball once, twice.

He tosses.

Step right-left-right and jump.

Hit the ball, but don’t follow through.

He lands and looks up: good, minimal backspin.

This isn’t his first time serving this game, so the other team isn’t as shocked. They still don’t know how to deal with it though. Noya-senpai still missed receiving his serves sometimes, so Tadashi is fairly confident that this will tie the game. Their libero has stepped up, crouched and ready, but, lo and behold, another service ace.

A smattering of cheers, “Nice serve!”

He accepts the ball again.

Inhale; exhale. Bounce once, twice. Step right-left-right. Jump, and hit.

Tadashi doesn’t feel as great about this one, and the other team manages to keep the ball in play, but it ends up a free ball, and Kageyama is there and ready, tossing to Tanaka, who blows past their block like it wasn’t there.

Karasuno is at set point, and it is Tadashi’s serve again. A part of him wants to panic, the way he did in that first official match against Seijou. But another part of him, the one that remembers the crushing weight of failure and shame, that part stays calm. It’s just like any other serve.

Just breathe.

Inhale. Exhale.

Bounce once. And bounce again.

Keep your throwing arm up for aim, and do not take your eyes off the ball.

Step right. Step left. Step right.

Jump, and hit.

Everything goes silent. It’s just Tadashi and the ball and the net.

It’s just like practise, except it’s not, because Tadashi can make mistakes in practise.

The ball lands with an anticlimactic bounce.

The whistle blows.

They win the second set, 26-24. And they win the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one is a little shorter than the others but I couldn't justify dragging what is probably three minutes in real life into more than three hundred words. (Besides, yesterday's was fairly long so this makes up for it?)


	5. Day Five, Teammates/Crows

It happens after they lose to Seijou, after the post-game meeting wherein they painstakingly go through every mistake everyone made and outline how they can improve. Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai lead them to the mountains, weaving through the trees until they are as far from the sounds of civilisation as possible. They reach a small clearing, still devoid of the sunlight stolen by the canopy above. The second and third years form a circle surrounding the first years.

Tadashi shivers at the sudden change in atmosphere, suddenly feeling like prey under the hungry gazes of his senpai.

“Today, you have all become a true part of Karasuno,” Daichi-senpai tells them. “We have played together. We have won together. And, today, we have lost together.”

Tadashi sneaks a peak at Tsukki, wondering if he knew what was going on. Tsukki shakes his head so minutely that only Tadashi would know he moved at all. Tsukki is just as lost as Tadashi is: how wonderful.

In front of him, Hinata and Kageyama seem to be riveted, but Tadashi doubts they are perceptive enough to pick up on the strange mood of the setting.

“Does anyone object to the initiation of our new teammates?” Suga-senpai asks, light and bell-like voice contrasting Daichi-senpai’s dark rumble.

The second years and Azumane-senpai shake their heads.

Tadashi bites on the inside of his bottom lip as he feels Tsukki tense next to him.

“Hinata Shoyou, Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi, and Kageyama Tobio,” Daichi-senpai addresses them. They snap to attention.

“Hai,” they respond as one.

“Are you willing to make a commitment to become stronger with everyone here?”

“Hai!” they respond more enthusiastically.

“Then welcome to the flock.”

Flock? Isn’t that that taking the whole “crow” thing too far? Tadashi turns to share a look with Tsukki, but he can’t, because, the next thing he knows, he’s tackled to the ground and held there by someone who seems to be Tanaka-senpai.

A sharp pain in the back of his neck is the last thing he feels before passing out.

 

He wakes up in a world much larger than before, blades of dying grass closer to eye level than they’d ever been before.

A beak (beak?) jabs its way into the juncture between his wing (wing?) and his neck, gliding down his back. He relaxes immediately, leaning into the touch.

A glare of white flashes next to him, and he turns to see a white raven (Tsukki?) shaking out his feathers. He turns his head and sees the mottled black and white of his feathers (feathers?) and squawks (squawks?) his distress.

Tsukki hops over, undignified, and shoves his beak at Tadashi’s wing, as if to say, shut up, Yamaguchi; you’re still beautiful. Tadashi tries to return the favour.

Somehow, their team’s transformation into various species of crows makes perfect sense. Tadashi stops questioning it to focus on preening Tsukki’s feathers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no justification for this. I'm very sorry. This should have been longer, but it's almost tomorrow so I'm just going to put this up and leave it with a promise to think about continuing it one day. (Maybe tomorrow, considering that this is basically a shapeshifter AU)


	6. Day Six, Crossover/Favourite AU

_Watch out, Yamaguchi_ , Tsukki’s voice rings in Tadashi’s mind. He ducks the sickle on its way back around to its Meister. Tadashi readjusts his grip on Tsukki and Aki-nii, and rushes in, slashing at Hinata’s midriff with Tsukki, following up with a jab using Akiteru.

Hinata rolls back, springing on his hands to deflect Tadashi with his kicking feet before flipping upright again. Tadashi advances, using his superior reach to its full abilities.

Except Hinata has disappeared, and the next thing Tadashi knows is a chain around his neck and a blade in his back.

He freezes, fighting the instinct to throw off the boy perching on his shoulders.

“Do you yield?”

 _No_ , Tsukki growls, _we’ll never hear the end of it_. Aki-nii hums in agreement.

Tadashi concedes, and arches his back away from the sharp tip digging into his spine, the movement eased by his arms thrown backwards, both brothers arcing through the air towards where Hinata is perched. Rather, where Hinata is supposed to be perched, because he’s suddenly disappeared again.

Tadashi’s shoulder blades protest at the rough treatment. Arms are not supposed to move that far back.

 _Three o’clock_ , Aki-nii warns, and Tadashi automatically extends his right arm, Tsukki with it, to fend off the attack. A chain wraps around his wrist and Tadashi curses at himself. He should remember who he’s fighting, here.

He flips Tsukki and Aki-nii into the air, switching hands. He ends up with a sickle at his neck, but Hinata ends up with a dagger at the tendon of his dominant shoulder and a sword at his temple.

They stay like that for exactly three seconds before relaxing and agreeing.

“Draw?” they ask at the same time, and grin at each other.

Tsukki changes back immediately, slouching against the wall. Akiteru takes another second, and stretches out his arms the moment he is human again.

As Kageyama berates Hinata for “not listening” during the fight, Tadashi turns to the brothers and smiles. Aki-nii reaches up to ruffle both his and Tsukki’s hair.

“Nice, team, we didn’t even need to use resonance this time.”

Tsukki looks away and mutters, “You mean we didn’t get a chance to.”

Tadashi smiles indulgently. “Do you want to go practise? We can try improving our preparation time for our finisher move.”

Tsukki scoffs but picks himself up, too obvious in his presumed reluctance to train even more.

Aki-nii smiles and follows. “Let’s go, then!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this isn't my favourite AU but that's mainly because there's sooooooo many AUs that I like. It actually took me about three hours to decide on which AU to write about because like do I Hogwarts? Do I genderbend? Do I soulmate? Do I daemon? Do I Pacific Rim? What do??? So I'll probably be doing an AU compilation for my next project.


	7. Day Seven, Third Year/Post-Secondary

“Ne, Tsukki,” Tadashi says. They’re lying on Tsukki’s bed together, watching the end credits of a documentary.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think you’ll join the volleyball team in university?”

Tadashi waits, but Tsukki doesn’t respond.

“I mean, I know you’ll be in the pre-med path and you’ll be really busy, but would you join the club anyway, even just to get exercise or something?”

The silence is brief before Tsukki replies. “I… I’m not sure.”

Tadashi hums in acknowledgement, and sits up to move onto the sequel documentary.

“I enjoy volleyball now…” Tsukki says. “I don’t want to give it up.”

Tadashi turns around and grins. “I hope we can continue playing together.”

 

The end of the term comes more quickly than they could ever have imagined. Tadashi somberly announces his decision for next year’s captain and vice. “Of course, it won’t be my team anymore so you’re all welcome to disagree, but…”

“We trust your decision, senpai,” the second years speak as one, some of them sniffling, and Tadashi can’t help but tear up. Shoyou and Hitoka-chan are openly sobbing already, and Tobio looks a bit teary eyed as well. Tsukki squeezes his arm in reassurance.

As his vice, Tobio takes over to assure the team that the soon-to-be graduates will come to as many matches as possible and that of course they can make it to the nationals by themselves.

Tadashi tries not to be more embarrassing than Shoyou in his crying. Tsukki does not let go of his hand.

 

They visit Sendai together, him and Tsukki, and brave the crowds at Tohoku together, trying to find two impossible numbers in the long lists posted on the boards.

Their hands stay clasped throughout the ordeal, and their fingers end up numb from elation. They’re in. They’re both in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it was so short, but I was trying to make it stay happy. The angstiness of my fics tend to correlate almost linearly with their length and I wanted to make sure this ended on a happy note.
> 
> Also yay me for actually finishing a chaptered fic. (I know this was a drabble collection and that I've probably written individual chapters longer than the compilation of these but shh.)

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://mercuryandglass.tumblr.com/)


End file.
